Michael Nyaogbe
The President of the Ghana Geospatial Society (GGS), Michael Nyaogbe has called for collaboration among stakeholders in order to harness opportunities in the Geospatial space as the country works towards becoming a fully digitalized economy.
Speaking at the 2nd annual General meeting and conference in Accra, he said with the transformative power of Geospatial technologies in the era of rapid urbanization, rapid infrastructure and climate change challenges, geospatial technologies have become indispensable tools for decision making and development.
That he said, could be achieved through deliberate policies that support geospatial data sharing and open access, investment in training programmes to equip the next generation of geospatial professionals as well as opportunities for growth and innovation.
“Innovation cannot thrive in isolation, collaboration is the engine that drives progress. We must build partnerships across sectors, government, private industry, academia and civil society. These partnerships will enable us to harness the full potential of geospatial technology to meet our national goals.
The digital economy is the future, and geospatial excellence is a cornerstone for building that future” he added.
He said although the government of Ghana has already demonstrated its commitment to digital transformation through initiatives like the National Digital Property Addressing System and e-governance reforms, more needs to be done using geospatial technology for the benefits of the country.
According to him, a lot of the sectors including health, education, and agriculture have collected data using geospatial technology such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to solve complex issues.
He therefore asked the geospatial Society to support and enhance these efforts and insights while leveraging GIS and related technologies for sustainable development, effective resource management to enhance decision making processes at local and national levels.
Prof. Prosper Laary, Vice President of Ghana Geospatial Society (GGS) for his part said geospatial space will help support Ghana’s development giving the opportunities that abound in that area.
He said Geospatial technology has emerged as the pivotal driver of the socio-economic development across the globe of which Ghana stands at the forefront of the technological evolution.
He said the national spatial development framework which serves as a strategic blue print guiding the integration of geospatial information into various sectors including agriculture, urban planning and disaster management would provide opportunity for members of the society to lead the policy.
The two-day conference under the theme “Geospatial Excellence for digital growth: Fostering innovation and collaboration to unlock Ghana’s potential also saw the induction of 39 members who were presented with certificates.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah